Sheet conveyer and delivery mechanism



June 5, 1928. 1,672,846

' R. S. DALTON SHEET CONVEYERQAND DELIVERY murmurs! Filed July 13, 1923 6 Hanna;

Patented June. 5, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,612,846 PATENT OFFICE.

,' RAYMOND S. DALTON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE CLEVELAND 1mm) ING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SHEET CONVEYER AND DELIVERY MECHANISM.

Application filed July 18,

My invention relates to improvements in sheet conveyor and delivery mechanism and has for its object the provision of means for making an appliance such as the delivery table for supplying sheets of paper to folding and cutting machines more accurate and efficient than are those of the present development in the art. More particularly, myv invention seeks to regulate in a novel manner the advancement of the sheets upon the delivery table by constructing the rolls thereof so that they will have a varying effect for driving the sheets of paper at different areas or sections thereof in order to counteract certain observed deficiencies in delivery tables now commonly in use.

The delivery table, presenting essentially a series of diagonally positioned rolls in association with a guide for one edge of the sheet, has been known and used in the art for many years, associated with paper folding and cutting machines, ruling machines, printing presses of certain types, and the like. A common difliculty met with in the employment of such machines, however, has been the conveying and delivery in proper position, of oblong sheets in the direction of their shorter dimension. A sheet of this character is found to be driven more rapid- 7 1y from its free end than it is adjacent to'its guided edge, and, as a result, such sheet is liable to be turned upon the delivery table and thus will be. presented in an indeterminate angular position to the folding rolls or the like. Makeshii'ts-i have been adopted in the past to correct this undesirable tendency, 't'ound in.the drag which may be applied to impede very slightly the tendency of the outer end or-edge ot' the sheet to be advanced faster than the guided edge. It is my present purpose. to improve the structure of the delivery table so that this tendency will not be present and the sheets will be properly advanced to the associated u mechanism.

I have discovered that by increasing the driving or tractive eti'ect of the rollers of a sheet delivery table, or some of said rollers, adjacent to the guided or slightly retarded edge of the sheet, this undesirable tendency may le wholly counteracted and the efficiency of the delivery table is materially improved. This result may be accomplished by modifying the driving face of the rolls throughout a portion of their lengtli,,as by 1923. Serial no. 651,21

slightly roughening the surface thereof or by providing a sli htly adherent surface. However, I prefer; 'ly construct said rolls so that the diameters thereof, as presented toward the guiding edge of the delivery table, shall be slightly greater than their diameters at a distance therefrom, or I may combine both principles of modifying the driving or tractivc ell'ectof such rolls.

This invention may further be explained, as embodied in one type of delivery table of the class defined, by making reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a delivery table to which my improvements have been applied,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1, partially diagrammatic in character for illustrating the drive for the rolls,

Fig. 3 is a view partially broken away and in section showing one type of the preferred tubular roll with an enlarged end portion, and

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a conical type of roll.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings I have employed the same charactor of reference to indicate similar parts.

The structure of the delivery table shown does not vary from those well known in the art and it may be taken as typical of any delivery table of this same general class, which may be modified in accordance with my present invention, but, as specitiiially embodied in the present mechanism. said delivery table comprises a. frame a whereon are mounted a plurality of rolls or rollers 1) adapted to be driven in unison by an underrunning belt 0 carried over idler rolls (1 positioned intermediately of the rollers I). Said belt extends diagonally ot' the table and over the terminal pulleys, c, a", while adjustable tensioning rollers 0 0" permit the belt to be adjusted as required.

The sheets are fed to the delivery table from the supporting shelf 6 and are successively advanced one by one toward the right by the rollers b which are rotated in a clockwise direction; coining promptly into engagement with the lefthand guide 7 prior to their actuation beneath the roll (7.

It will be observed that the rollers 7) are provided with t'rictioncd and enlarged portions 7) for a portlon of their lengths; said frictioned and enlar ed ortions hem" disposed immediately adjacent to the guide f. Alternatively the rollers may be knurled, as at b", to insure an increased tractive effect, without increasing the diameter, or otherwise suitably frictioned.

Another method of constructing these rolls is shown in Fig. 3, wherein the tubular body h of the roller is slightly flared or expanded for a short distance at one end to produce the enlarged section h. Again, a roll of gradually increasing diameter, as i, Fig. 4, may be positoned with its greater diameter adjacent to the longitudinal guide of the delivery table to secure the increased tractive effect for the sheets as they are successively placed thereon.

It will be appreciated that the delivery table supplied with my improvements, as herein claimed, may thus be rendered more eflicient in advancing the sheets of paper, while avoiding the disadvantage of unequally presenting said sheets in indeterminate angular relation to the associated mechanism. By adopting these for any of the delivery tables of this class the accuracy of handling the sheets thereon is readily controllable and invariably improved.

As a specific example of dimensioning the rollers for a delivery table in accordance with my invention, I may instance the enlargement of rollers having a normal diameter of 1 inches throughout the major portion of their length to an added diameter of from one-eighth to threesixteenths inches throughout a section of approximately two to two and one-half inches at one end thereof.

If desired, the enlargment of the rollers may be accomplished by building up a short section of adhesive tape, or an adhesive material may be applied sectionally thereto; the inherent principle of my invention being the production of a driving surface upon the roll or rolls which shall be more effective than is the major portion of such roll or rolls.

Having now described one embodiment of my invention andthe mode of its operation, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, together with such modifications as may be made by those ordinarily skilled in the an, the following:

1. A sheet eonveyer mechanism comprising a plurality of parallel rollers together forming an advancing surface for the sheets, means for rotating said rollers in unison, an associated lateral guide: said rollers being terminally constructed to afford an increased tract-ive efi'ect adjacent to the guide as compared with the-bodies of the rollers, substantially as set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a roller for delivery tables of the class described having a terminal cylindrical portion thereof formed of greater uniform diameter than the body of said roller, substantially as set forth.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a. roller for delivery tables of the class described terminally provided with means affording an increased driving effect throughout a short cylindrical section of one end as compared with the entire roller and its opposite end, substantially as set forth.

4. A delivery table of the class described, comprising a plurality of diagorially positioned rollers, means for driving said rollers and a lateral guide associated with the corresponding ends of the rollers; said rollers being equipped with means for increasing their tractive effect adjacent to the guide, substantially as set forth.

5. In a delivery table of the class .described, the combination with a plurality of advancing rollers whereon the sheets normally are carried, means for rotating them in unison, a guide adjacent to the corresponding ends of the rollers; said rollers having increased diameters adjacent to the guide as compared with their diameters at their opposite ends, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof he afiixes his signature.

RAYMOND S. DALTON. 

